| Title: | Rebel Without a Pulse |
|---|---|
| Course Section Number: | FRT-101-05 |
| Department: | Freshman Tutorial |
| Description: | FACE TO FACE COURSE. FRT-101-05: Rebel Without a Pulse: Life Lessons from The Undead Lon Porter teaches chemistry, 3D printing, and enjoys working with students in his research lab. If you visit his office, you'll discover he is a big Star Wars, Transformers, and Marvel fan. When not watching science fiction films and series, he loves his role as faculty mentor to the Wabash tabletop gaming club. You'll often find him playing Warhammer 40k, Magic: The Gathering, and just about any board game he can find. The undead have once again shambled into a prominent place in popular culture and contemporary fiction. This course will focus on the origins and evolution of the undead in folklore, literature, popular art, games, and film. Students will explore a number of readings and films that portray the undead in a variety of ways. We will uncover how undead fiction addresses the mystique, power, and fear associated with the supernatural, science, authority, disease, morality, sex, and violence. Critical discussion of these fictional works will reveal a great deal about ourselves and the hopes and fears of society. The course will challenge students to dig deep and use their "braaaaaainsss" as they tackle engaging stories about zombies, vampires, ghouls, etc. Students will explore several examples of the undead in short stories, novels, films, and games in order to identify defining characteristics, while revealing and deconstructing the social commentary and themes central to each work. Course assignments and activities are aimed to help students develop critical reading, writing, discussion, and oral presentation skills that are essential to success at Wabash College. As a final assignment, students will work to craft original short stories that will be compiled into a publication to share with classmates. Other activities may include a field trip to Hanna Haunted Acres, located in Indianapolis, and a local Halloween haunted house community service project. Interested students should expect to work hard, be rewarded for creativity, take on significant reading assignments, and engage in daily class discussions and writing exercises. Examples of undead fiction we will explore include, but are not limited to: (Readings) Richard Matheson's, I am Legend, Max Brooks', World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Bram Stoker's, Dracula, and various short stories; (Films/TV) Daybreakers (2010), 30 Days of Night (2008), Shaun of the Dead (2004), 28 Days Later (2003), and episodes of The Walking Dead (2010-2020) and True Blood (2009-2014); (Games) the Dead Rising series, Left for Dead series, Dying Light, and Last Night on Earth. |
| Credits: | 1.00 |
| Start Date: | August 12, 2020 |
| End Date: | November 24, 2020 |
| Meeting Information: |
08/13/2020-11/24/2020 Lecture Tuesday, Thursday 09:45AM - 11:00AM, Fine Arts Center, Room CONC
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| Faculty: | Porter, Lon |
Course Status
| Section Name/Title | Status | Dept. | Capacity |
Enrolled/ Available/ Waitlist |
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